ItÂ?s time athletes get same freedom as departing coaches

April 11, 2007|Jim Meenan

So Bob Huggins, now at West Virginia, and Billy Gillespie, now at Kentucky, are the latest big-name coaches to jump for better jobs.

At Kansas State, Huggins leaves what may be the best recruiting class in the land. And Gillespie deletes most of the momentum he and his 27-7 Texas A & M Aggies won by reaching the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tourney.

Huggins had five years remaining on his contract at Kansas State.

Gillespie had earlier turned down Arkansas after Stan Heath was fired, supposedly deciding to stay with the Aggies, agreeing in principle to a new contract worth $1.75 million a season.

But then Kentucky came calling.

Coaches breaking contracts is old news. It happens every year Â?Â? in all sports.

ThatÂ?s fine. ItÂ?s the schools that let them out of the contracts, now with buyout provisions so the schools at least get something for the trouble.

Huggins had one for $100,000, quite a meager total, considering his near million dollar salary.

What isnÂ?t fine is that the student-athletes already attending the schools, who came to play for the coaches, are punished if they then decide to transfer. They must sit out a year.

The rule is in place so coaches donÂ?t take players with them. And so dissatisfied athletes at any school have to think twice the minute they become disenchanted with a coach.

Even high school athletes who have signed a letter of intent to attend a college can be held to it or forced to sit out a year if the school they signed with does not release them.

In either case, itÂ?s not fair. HereÂ?s a thought. All athletes, just like other students who transfer, should be eligible for all benefits at any school right away.

Including scholarships.

In a perfect world, it would be better if coaches had to sit out a year, if they broke a contract, but that likely would never hold up in court.

So players should be treated the same as coaches. If the whole process leaves a schoolÂ?s sports program in disarray, so be it.

The end result might just be schools would hold coaches to their contracts.

Regardless, student-athletes should be afforded the same rights as all students. And coaches.